Andrew Phelan

Garda Donal O'Neill had the case against him adjourned and a date for the hearing set at Dublin District Court.

The accused, who is based at Pearse Street Garda Station, is accused of one count of common assault on the alleged victim. The assault is alleged to have happened at Pearse Street on December 16, 2012.

The charge is under Section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act and is being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission.

No details of the alleged incident have yet been disclosed to the court.

Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain adjourned the case to a date in October, for hearing in a non-jury trial at the District Court. The alleged offence is not indictable, meaning it can only be dealt with at District Court level, with a maximum six month sentence on conviction.

When the case was called, Solicitor Martin Moran, for the defence, said the accused was seeking a date for hearing. This means he is pleading not guilty. The court was told the case would be a lengthy one; the evidence would take at least half a day to hear and CCTV viewing facilities would be required.

The prosecution had provided disclosure of statements to the defence following a previous order of the court.

The defendant, dressed in a grey suit, did not address the court during the brief hearing. It was his fourth appearance in court since he was summonsed for the alleged assault.